The present invention is generally directed to an accessory for a syringe, and more particularly to a finger flange removably mountable onto a syringe, and movable between a use position and a non-use position.
A syringe is a simple pump utilized for delivering or receiving a substance, e.g., medicament, to/from a recipient or a receptacle. Conventional syringes include a syringe barrel (for holding the substance) having a syringe barrel flange laterally extending from an open proximal end of the syringe barrel and a syringe plunger for advancement into the syringe barrel, or withdrawal through the syringe barrel, through the open proximal end. The syringe flange is often referred to as a “finger flange,” because the flange provides a surface which a user can grip or engage with his/her fingers to hold the syringe barrel in place while advancing/retracting the syringe plunger through the barrel.
The size, shape and overall ergonomics of the syringe barrel finger flange can have a direct effect on usability, leverage and control over the syringe. The syringe barrel finger flange on a standard International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”) 1 mL syringe can be inadequate in size, shape and ergonomics. Accordingly, typical finger flange accessories manufactured for removable or permanent mounting onto conventional syringes are larger in size for improved usability, leverage and control over the syringe. However, one drawback associated with such finger flange accessories is that the greater size of the finger flange accessory results in an increased packaging footprint when packaged with the syringe. As a result, there is a direct effect on cost, shipping, storage, etc., which ultimately translates into increased costs for end consumers.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to manufacture a foldable finger flange accessory for a syringe that has a geometry allowing the finger flange to be oriented in one more compact configuration during shipping/transport, i.e., non-use position, having a relatively decreased footprint, and reconfigurable into a use configuration, e.g., at the point of use, having a greater footprint for assisting in improved usability of the syringe. Such a device would provide a user with an improved syringe usage experience, while also minimizing the expense of increased packing size.